Rack structure



Jan. 13, 1970 ,D. FRAZI ER RACK STRUCTURE Filed May 26. 1967 F'lG.

INVENTOR. ONALD FRAZ l ER ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent 3,489,291 RACK STRUCTURE Donald Frazier, RD. 1, Mendham Road,

Far Hills, NJ. 07931 Filed May 26, 1967, Ser. No. 641,517

The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Aug. 15, 1984, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. A47b 96/12; A47f /01, 5/16, 29/00 US. Cl. 211-176 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rack for holding material in which there is a base with a generally vertical support; a pair of horizontal support arms with vertical opposing channels are clamped together with the vertical opposing channels seizing flanges on the vertical support.

This application is related to co-pending application of the applicant Ser. No. 509,380, now Patent No. 3,335,992.

This invention relates generally to rack structures, and more particularly to rack structures having horizontal arms adapted to seize a vertical support member with great strength in order to support heavy weights, and yet be adjustable as to height.

Storage facilities must be supplied to industry to store long heavy objects; there are numerous rack structures for supporting such objects above the floor. Since the quantity of material to be stored varies from time to time, the spacial dimensions of the rack should be variable so as to permit the storage of larger or smaller amounts of material. When large amounts of material are stored, the arms must be capable of resisting slippage or deformation. Furthermore, when several varieties of related materials are to be stored, it must be easy to add additional supporting arms to the rack to accommodate separately, additional varieties of material. Numerous specialty racks are known, but there are very few that use principally, standard steel fabricated parts; the use of standard steel fabricated parts reduces the cost of racks. Conventional racks may be somewhat deficient in ability to support a great weight of material. They are frequently difficult to set up, and to demount or ship. Such racks also are not always capable of duplex usage, i.e. arrangement with cantilever arms extending toward the front and toward the back of the rack.

It has been found that a vertical support member in the nature of an I-beam attached to a suitable base, can be provided with a readily adjustable horizontal, bifurcated arm that has great strength; such a rack can have additional support arms applied from time to time as required. The horizontal supporting arms are readily adjustable and are provided with generally vertical, opposing channels which seize the flanges of an I-beam, vertical support; a support arm of great strength is provided.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be attained by the device shown' by way of illustration in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the innerface of a support arm;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the outerface of a support arm;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the support arms arranged in pairs, clamped together to seize opposing channels of a vertical support.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a cantilever rack is provided with a base 11 which may be made in any suitable manner but is shown as consisting of a pair of "ice channels 10, 10 connected together at one end by being welded to an angle 12. At the other end, the pair of channels 11 are connected by welding to a vertical member 13, which by way of illustration is shown to be an I-beam. It is noted that any other vertical support member provided with flanges may be substituted for the I-beam. The I-beam is provided with flanges 14, 15. A pair of generally horizontal supports 16, 17 are provided for. These supports are in the form of generally U-shaped members or channels and are arranged back-to-back. At the one end of these supports 16, 17 there are brackets 18 which are welded to the supports. The one support 16 is the mirror image of the other 17. The flat backs of these brackets 18 are preferably welded to the supports. The brackets 18 are provided with generally vertical U-shaped narrow channels 19 which are dimensioned to receive and seize the flanges. Beyond the channel 19, there is an extended portion or wider channel 20 of the bracket 18, which is also attached by welding that flat rear surface thereof to the horizontal supports 16, 17. When a pair of these horizontal supports 16, 17 are arranged on both sides of the flanges with the channels 19 receiving the flanges 14, 15, they are bolted together and with the bolts being tightened, the channels 19 will seize and securely grip the flanges 1-4, 15. Loosening the bolt 21 enables the easy vertical adjustment of the horizontal supports 16, 17. At the opposite end, the bolt 22 holds the supports 16, 17 together. This bolt 22, if loosened, permits some horizontal adjust of the position of the supports 16, 17 which adjustment may be useful in aiming the arm with relation to the web of the vertical member 13. Additional horizontal supports may be added at will. It will be noted that standard structural components are used to make the rack structure, with the exception of the brackets so that there is a substantial and material reduction in cost.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention.

What is claimed:

1. A rack structure comprising (a) a base,

(b) a generally vertical support connected to the base,

(0) flanges on the vertical support,

(d) a pair of generally horizontal rigid supports on opposite sides of the vertical support, secured together at their outer ends,

(e) right and left hand rigid brackets intruded between the flanges on the vertical support and the horizontal supports, and extending vertically beyond the Mnizontal supports,

(f) a pair of generally vertical channels on each of said brackets, one of the channels on each bracket embracing the flanges,

(g) means to clinch the horizontal supports together to frictionally engage the brackets with the flanges between the horizontal supports, and

(h) each bracket and the corresponding adjacent support rigidly attached together.

2. A rack structure comprising (a) the device according to claim 1, and

(b) the flanges being co-planar.

3. A rack structure comprising (a) the device according to claim 1, and

(b) the means being a bolt passed through the horizontal supports.

4. A rack structure comprising (a) the device according to claim 1, and

(b) the means being bolts passed through the horizontal supports near opposite ends.

5. A rack structure comprising (a) the device according to claim 1, and

(b) rear portions on the brackets and rigidly secured to the horizontal supports.

6. A rack structure comprising (a) the device according to claim 1 and the vertical ex- 1 tension of the brackets beyond the horizontal support being above the horizontal support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

